Mike Conaway: The 'quicker' the Democratic memo released 'the better'

House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said Tuesday that he is unsure if after redactions are made to a Democrat-penned committee memo it will have to go before another vote before it's released. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, said he wants the memo put together by House Intelligence Committee Democrats to be released as soon as possible.

“The quicker we get the Demcorat[ic] memo out, the better,” Conaway — who leads the committee’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign — told reporters Tuesday.

The committee met Tuesday evening, the first time since President Trump declined to declassify the intelligence memo put together by Democrats, which is meant to counter one released by Republicans on the committee earlier this month.

The White House said Friday it would not release the memo without more redactions. Democrats say their memo is meant to counter allegations of bias within the Department of Justice and FBI detailed in the GOP memo.

Conaway said that “this is the first time we’ve ever done this” and is unsure if after House Intelligence goes through the redactions process with the FBI and other intelligence officials, if they will have to hold another vote to send it to the White House.

But, if it requires another vote, “we’ll vote it out again,” Conaway said, adding “there is value” in the memo being released publicly.

“We will work with FBI to get the redactions right, report it out quickly. ... See their side of the story,” he said.

Conaway said the committee’s Russia investigation is “moving forward” and expects former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon will comply with a subpoena and appear before the panel.